Improvement in cannons



R. B. H; LEIGHTON.

CANNONS.

Patented Aug. 15, 1876..

' scatter the shot in wided with a wide, flaring, and shallow borein a cannon tormed ot the top and bottom r tes,

IMPROVEMENT IN CAN'NQNS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 118L051, dated August 15, 1876; applicat n filed April 25, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ItIonARn 13.11. LEIGH- TON, of Jersey City, Hudson county, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Gannon, of which the following is a specification In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a top view-of my improved cannon, showing the door open to receive the cartridge. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same; and Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same, taken through the line X X, Fig. l.

The object of this invention is to furnish a cannon which shall be so constructed as to be more efl'ective in use.

My invention consists in a cannon proplates, the side pieces, riveted to each other in the combination of the door, the pins, the connectingbar, and the button with the carriage; in the transverse groove formed in the bottom plate of the canllOii to recei.ve the guide-rib ot' the cartridge 1n the rabbet, formed in the breech-piece of the cannon to receive the rib ol" the cartridge containing the fulminate; and in the wide and shallow flaring cartridge, made with a guiderib upon its lower side, and a rib to contain the fulniinate upon its rear end, as hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawing, A is the top and the breech-piece 5 .plate, and B the bottom plate, of the cannon,

which are made wider at their forward ends, and bet-ween the side edges and the rear edges ot which are placed the side pieces 0 and the rear end piece 0. The five pieces A B O O c are secured to each other by rivets l).

In the rear part of one of the side pieces 0 1s iormed a door, E, for putting in the cartr dge, when fixed ammunition is used.

V When loose ammunition is used, the cannon Wlll be loaded from the muzzle.

The door E is secured in place, when closed, by three pins, I, which pass down through holes in the top and bottom plates A B, and the upper ends of which are connected by a bar, F, so that they may move together.

The pins I are held in place, when pushed down, by a button, G, pivoted to the top plate A, in such a position that it may be turned over the bar F. The pins I may be provided a horizontal line, so as to with springs to raise them out of the door E, when the button G is turned back.

In the inner side of the bottom plate B is formed a transverse groove to receive a rib formed upon the lower side of the shell ofthe cartridge H, to keep the cartridge square when putting it in, and also to prevent the cartridgeshell from being blown out when the cannon is discharged. The upper inner corner of the breech-piece c is rabbeted, to receive the rib formed upon the rear end of the cartridge H, and which contains the fulminate.

The cannon is discharged through the touchhole a, formed through the upper plate A.

Round or square grape or chain shot may be used, as desired. With this construction the wide, shallow, flaringbore will scatter the shot in a horizontal line, so that it will do inuch better executionthan when a bore of the usual form is used. p

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Acannon provided with a wide bore, made rectangular in cross section, and flaring toward the front end to scatter the shot, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A cannon formed of the top and bottom plates A B, the side pieces 0 O, and the breechpiece 0, riveted to each other, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination of the door E, the pins I, the connecting-bar F, and the button G with the cannon A B O O c, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. The bottom plate B of the cannon, provided with a transverse groove to receive the guide of the cartridge, substantially as herein shown and described. 5

5. The breech-piece c of the cannon, having a rabbet to receive the rib of the cartridge containing the fulminate, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. The wide and shallow flaring cartridge H, made with a guide-rib upon its lower side,

and a rib to contain the t'ulminate upon its rear end, substantially as herein shown and described.

RICHARD B. H. LEIGI-ITON.

Witnesses:

JAMES T. GRAHAM, T, B. MOSHER. 

